SRINAGAR: Just a year after facing imminent detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA), Zubair ul Islam Bhat from Khumriyal in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district has qualified for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), marking a dramatic turn in his academic journey.
THE STORY OF ZUBAIR UL ISLAM BHAT .
This is Zuber @bhattweetss from Khumriyal. Congratulations on passing NEET.
Zuber has excelled academically. But Zuber is much more than a young boy who has cracked NEET.
The life of Zuber is a story. And I too am a part of that story.… pic.twitter.com/c5tJmOXrup
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) June 18, 2025
Zubair’s story came into public view after Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone shared the details on Tuesday through a social media post. Lone revealed that in 2023, the Kupwara police had prepared a PSA dossier against the young man. Concerned, Zubair’s family approached Lone for help.
“I do not know what happened, but I was convinced Zubair had to be saved,” Lone wrote. He said he contacted the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, who was initially hesitant to reconsider the case. Over several calls, they discussed the matter often ending in disagreement.
Eventually, the SSP called back and informed Lone that, after reconsideration, he too felt Zubair deserved a second chance. Lone praised the officer’s decision, stating that it “added a doctor to the society.”
Zubair completed his higher secondary education in 2019 at the Army Goodwill Public School in Kupwara and later qualified for Aligarh Muslim University, where he enrolled in a BSc Honours course in Physics. After two years, he returned home due to health issues and decided to prepare for the NEET examination.
“I studied hard and managed to secure admission in BUMS at Government Unani Medical College in Ganderbal,” Zubair said.
This year, he made another attempt, preparing for just a month. “I had no hope of qualifying, but by the Grace of Allah, I scored 535 marks,” he said. He secured a 99.05 percentile with an all-India rank of 20,112 and now hopes to gain admission to an MBBS programme. “I had enrolled in a library and studied daily for a month,” he said.
Zubair was previously accused of involvement in anti-establishment activities, although these allegations were not substantiated.
Lone also thanked the Lieutenant Governor’s office, acknowledging that such a decision would not have been possible without the consent of top officials.
He described Zubair’s turnaround as “a story of triumph of love and compassion,” urging decision-makers to take note. “Victory in Kashmir lies in love and compassion. Let us all rejoice in Zubair’s success,” Lone concluded.
Zubair, the eldest of four siblings, said the recent result came as a surprise to his family. “Nobody knew I was attempting NEET for the third time. I did not want to raise expectations unless I was sure,” he said.
He now helps his younger brother, a class twelve student, prepare for his studies.
